Tricot is a highly-elastic knitted fabric widely used for swimwear and active-sport apparel. It is almost entirely composed of synthetic fibres such as spandex and polyester, and retains its elastic performance even after heavy-duty repeated use.
Thanks to its distinctive warp-knit construction, tricot also ranks among the most comfortable athletic fabrics. Therefore it is extensively utilised for undergarments and intimate apparel, as well as inner linings for various garments.
| Fabric | Tricot |
| Texture | Generally very smooth |
| Stretch | Highly elastic; substantial cross-wise stretch with limited length-wise stretch |
| Weight | Medium-weight to lightweight |
| Stiffness / Drape | Has drape, yet without light, fluid flowy qualities |
| Nap | No nap |
| Typical Fibre Content | Mostly synthetic; nylon or polyester blended with partial spandex |
| Opacity | Opaque |
| Sheen | Subtle sheen on the face side; not high-gloss shiny |
| Fraying | Does not fray |
| Pilling | Resistant to pilling |
| Distinguishing Features | One side is smooth while the reverse side feels slightly coarser |
| Suitable Climate | Works for cool or warm conditions, depending on garment cut |
| Common End-Products | Swimsuits, leggings, undergarments, lingerie, sportswear, jackets, linings |
| Recommended Sewing Needle | Stretch needle (size 70 or 80) for tricot sewing |
What Is Tricot Fabric?
Tricot is a warp-knit fabric, fundamentally different from weft-knit fabrics such as jersey and interlock. The warp-knitting technique delivers a soft, smooth hand-feel while keeping the fabric compact and durable.
The most-commonly-encountered tricot on the market is swimwear-grade material. Combined with nylon or spandex fibres, its warp-knit structure allows the fabric to fit the human body comfortably, flatter body contours without revealing every bodily unevenness.
What Can You Sew With Tricot Fabric?
Tricot’s signature application is swimwear. It stretches and conforms to the body without clinging excessively, making it ideal for swimwear production. It can also be made into other types of sportswear, intimate apparel and even certain jackets.
Boasting solid durability, tricot works excellently as garment lining. This is particularly true for vintage-style tricot or variants without added spandex-nylon blends.
Performance Characteristics of Tricot Knit Fabric
- · Texture: Tricot features a notably smooth surface, especially sport-oriented tricot variants. The face side is smoother than the back side.
- · Stretch: Modern tricot delivers excellent elasticity. Its cross-wise stretch can reach 100 % of original dimension, and it also offers moderate length-wise stretch.
- · Weight: Despite its compact knit structure, tricot falls into the medium-to-lightweight range.
- · Drape: It has substantial drape. It is not slinky and flowing like crepe or chiffon, nor rigid like quilting cotton.
- · **Fibre Composition: It consists almost exclusively of synthetic fibres. Some versions are 100 % polyester; more frequently, nylon-spandex blends are incorporated to improve fabric strength, elasticity and wearing comfort.
- · Opacity: Compact-knit tricot is mostly opaque. Light-coloured lining-grade tricot may be slightly translucent.
- · Sheen: It lacks the brilliant gloss of satin-woven fabrics, but its smooth face side usually carries subtle soft sheen.
- · Fraying: As a knitted textile, tricot does not fray like woven fabrics.
- · Pilling & Snagging: Contemporary tricot has good pilling resistance, alongside resistance to runs and tearing.
- · Wrinkle Resistance: Tricot is largely wrinkle-resistant.
- · Breathability: Even though it uses synthetic fibres, the warp-knit construction enables air circulation and delivers breathable performance. Small-percent spandex blends also provide moisture-wicking capacity and facilitate sweat and water evaporation.
Post time: Nov-03-2026